Community Picket Lines Set Up in Ottawa; Three Allies Arrested

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Wednesday December 5 2018

For immediate release

Ottawa – Early this morning, union and community members in Ottawa, Ontario set up picket lines outside Canada Post’s mail processing plant on Sandford Fleming Avenue to protest back to work legislation imposed on postal workers last week and fight for the right to free collective bargaining. In solidarity with postal workers, the protest-line allowed workers in, but did not allow mail out.

Although the protests were peaceful, three people were arrested, released and given tickets for “trespassing.”

This action comes after six allies demonstrating in Halifax over the weekend were arrested and kept in jail overnight. Protests and demonstrations have arisen across the country since postal workers were legislated back to work last week.

“You cannot legislate labour peace,” says CUPW National President Mike Palecek. “There are fifty thousand union members that have been prohibited from picketing at post offices in this country, and three million who haven’t. We are not the only ones willing to defend the right of free collective bargaining.”

What we are seeing over the last week, is that instead of resolving our dispute with Canada Post, the Trudeau Government has picked a fight with labour. “An injury to one is an injury to all” is much more than a slogan.

“We are overwhelmed by the display of solidarity from across the country over the last week,” adds Palecek. “Our allies have braved the cold, the rain and even the police to picket for us when our right to strike was taken away. It’s clear that this fight is no longer just about postal workers. It is about the right to free collective bargaining and it impacts every worker in this country.”